LAS VEGAS – Tito Ortiz proved once again why he's considered one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time.

At the 1:56 mark of the first round, Ortiz, 36, forced UFC's rising light heavyweight star Ryan Bader, 28, into submission via a guillotine choke during UFC 132 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Saturday night.

"I had an out-of-body experience," said Ortiz. "For the first time, everything was super slow."

Many critics thought if Ortiz lost, it would be his last bout in the UFC.

"Tonight was a night to win," said UFC president Dana White. "Everybody knew Tito had to win to stay in the UFC. Not only did he win tonight, but he did it impressively."

The "Huntington Beach Bad Boy," who was a 4.5-to-1 underdog to Bader going into the light heavyweight fight, fed off of a crowd that endlessly chanted "Tito, Tito, Tito" throughout the bout.

It was his first victory since a TKO win over Ken Shamrock in 2006.

"You gotta understand, I'm healthy now," said Ortiz, referring to a series of injuries and surgeries he's had to deal with over the past few years. "I've got a hunger to be at the top again."

The UFC card's main event matched up two bitter rivals with current UFC Bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz against veteran fighter Urijah Faber.

Cruz's only professional loss came at the hands of Faber in 2007, but he was able to avenge the loss with a unanimous five-round decision on Saturday night.

"This fight tells me a lot about myself," said Cruz. "I lost to him four years ago and it's harder to lose and come back than it is to win and keep winning."

Unlike the Ortiz fight, the two fighters gave the fans five rounds of non-stop action. While Faber was able to land some hard shots to the face in the second and fourth rounds, Cruz's overall quickness and ability to avoid a majority of Faber's combinations ultimately led to his victory.

Towards the end of the fifth and final round, Cruz picked up Faber two times in a row and slammed him to the mat.

"I feel like I didn't do enough to win and obviously, the judges saw it the same way," said Faber. "I feel like I landed the heavier punches, but it wasn't enough."

The next UFC event, UFC 133, will take place in Philadelphia on August 6.

Pete Griffin is a Junior Reporter for FoxNews.com based in Las Vegas, Nevada.